September 2007

Canoers paddle past Shilshole Marina.

On Labor Day, just inside the Ballard Locks entrance, Brittany Rupert, 16, of Gold Bar, performs a trick on her unicycle called "wheel walking." She propels the unicycle pushing the wheel forward with her foot, without using the pedals. A sign posted nearby reads "Walk your bicycles," and although she is not riding a bicycle, the park ranger, pictured right, spots her and in a moment will politely ask her to walk her vehicle.

The Sea Rover was docked near Pacific Fisherman recently. A stroll on the dock at the end of 24th Avenue Northwest offers views of many ships, but watch out for the Canada goose droppings.

We are deeply saddened and troubled by the inconsistencies coming from Seattle elected officials as our community is faced with a depleting supply of affordable housing due largely to condo conversions.

The working class citizens that have made Ballard great and literally built it from the ground up are actually being forced out. Affordable rentals like the Lock Vista Apartments are being gobbled up by developers, turning $660 a month studios into a $250,000 condo.

Many of the residents are public employees, artists, wage workers or retired.

Editor's note:

This was written by a teacher and homeowner in West Seattle, but what she describes is relevant to what is happening here in Ballard, too. We would be interested in hearing from Ballard residents who have had similar reactions to the changes in housing all around them. As the piece states, we live in a community, but not all of us are aware that we have a say about such changes.

By Jennifer Hall

Ah, summer.

It's a time for harried teachers to rest and reflect; a time for us to center ourselves in our homes and our families.

should be for all

On Labor Day, we proudly reflected on the value that working men and women bring to our country, our society and our way of life. We hold it as a civil right that one is entitled to work.

Unfortunately, many Americans are deprived of that right to work, simply by virtue of the gender of whom they love, or their gender identity. In most states it is legal to fire someone simply because they are gay or transgendered.

We Washingtonians are fortunate.

I would like to thank Nile Robert Thompson for his article "Early history of the Shilshole-ahmish" in the August 1 edition of the "Ballard News-Tribune."

This is an important part of this area's history and of its people. There seems so little information and awareness of these people who lived in the Puget Sound area.

Again, thank you for your article from a fellow Ballard resident.

Dick LaBrash

Ballard

The Seattle Housing Authority has agreed to consider purchasing the Lock Vista Apartment building to preserve the moderate rentals.

"We're sure willing to take a look at what we can do," said Virginia Felton, spokesperson for the Seattle Housing Authority. "It's a big building and it's pretty expensive."

The housing authority has acquired buildings in the past to save units with "reasonable rents," such as the Wedgewood Estates.

"Will the last small business in Ballard please turn out the light?" reads a sign painted across the front window of the now closed Nick's Boats and Motors at the corner of 7th Avenue and Northwest 65th Street.

As well as signifying the end of another long-time family owned Ballard business, it says what many have been thinking.

"It's no longer profitable to run a small business in Ballard," said Dennis Nick, co-owner of the third-generation, family owned and operated boat repair shop.

In the past year, at least five family businesses retired, went out of busin

As the crime of graffiti vandalism continues in the city, nonprofit group Seattle Paint-Out has targeted a variety of neighborhoods, including Ballard, for graffiti-cleaning in the near future.

The group recently held its annual Seattle Paint-Out in several of the city's neighborhoods. Program organizer Laine Ross said that more paint-outs will be held in the near future.

"We've had inquiries in Ballard," said Ross.